sprocket

noun

sprock·​et ˈsprä-kət 

1

: a toothed wheel whose teeth engage the links of a chain

2

: a cylinder with teeth around the circumference at either end that project through perforations in something (such as motion-picture film) to move it through a mechanism (such as a projector)

Examples of sprocket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Watch for the front and rear sprockets expanding and contracting. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 Nov. 2023

When force is applied, the pulleys move out and the sprocket as a whole expands. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 Nov. 2023

Le Prince and his assistants devised a mechanism whereby pins installed in the projector’s rotating drums would engage with sprocket holes on the edges of the film. —Nat Segnit, Harper's Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022

The derailleurs should move the chain easily between sprockets. —George Petras, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sprocket

noun

sprock·​et ˈspräk-ət 

1

: one of many points that stick up on the rim of a wheel shaped so as to fit into the links of a chain

2

: a wheel having sprockets